Creative Commmons use and NON-Sample based synths

[dven]

Hey all-

I'm wondering about the use of NON-sample based synths within a Creative Commons work. My read of copyright law is that this would be 100% ok if these were hardware based synths. However, since I'd be using software synths, I'm not 100% sure of the rights issues.

I am NOT trying to start a copyright is bad and all that war, so just a real opinion/facts would be best

Thanks!
dorian

[shamann]

Non-sample-based synths in a Creative Commons work are perfectly fine. They are like guitars or pianos in that instance.

Sample-based synths are fine in a CC-licensed work as long as it is a musical work, the only thing you should avoid is creating a competing work such as a sample library (even if copyright sometimes is sketchy around the subject, avoid doing it and you'll avoid all potential legal hassle).

[dven]

Thanks, shamann!

That's what I thought. One potential gotcha I can see would be if a label like Magnatune used a track and then released some of the individual tracks/loops for remixing. Seems like that would be a violation of many license agreements.

cheers,
dorian

[shamann]

Once it is no longer a specifically musical work (in the case of separate tracks, really an argument can be made either way, but the intention could be viewed as providing a competing tool rather than music itself), don't do anything unless you check with the manufacturer of the instrument in question. Some have specific policies on those kinds of things. Usually you'll go untouched if you merely provide the tracks to a third party privately, but if you give it away publicly, then alarms might go off with some manufacturers.